Grip for copyholder clamps



A. L. MATTERN GRIP FOR COPYHOLDER CLAMPS Oct. 3, 1950 Filed Sept. 4, 1947 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 3, 1950 Arnold Leo Mattern,

Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, assignor to Remington Rand Inc., New 'York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 4, 1347, Serial No. 772,155 4 Claims. (c1.'24 66) The invention relates to improvements in copyholders for use in connection with typewriters and particularly to the construction of the grips carried by the clamp for clamping paper sheets containing material to be copied.

In the use of copyholders it frequently happens that the document to be copied is folded, or is attached to other documents which preferably should not be separated, and when engaged on the copy plate the thickness of the copy material to be clamped may vary across the width of the copy plate resulting inan uneven and somewhat insecure clamping action.

To overcome that disadvantage it is proposed, according to the present invention, to provide on the clamping member a plurality of grips in spaced relationship, at least one of which grips comprises a substantially cylindrical body of material having an eccentric bore provided therethrough for frictional gripping engagement with the clamping member, whereby it is adjustable by manual rotation for varying its gripping action relatively to that of the other grip or grips.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 shows the upper portion of a conventional type of copyholder in perspective looking from a point in front, above and at one side thereof and illustrating the invention applied to the clamp wherein a pair of grips cooperates with a copy sheet that is folded to present a portion at one side of the copyholder of double thickness and a single thickness at the opposite side.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the copyholder and the improved grips, as shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevation of the copyholder as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, illustrating a pair of grips adjusted to engage and retain sheet portions of different thickness against the copy plate.

The copyholder may be constructed in accordance with the disclosure in Patents 1,668,905, May 8, 1928 or 2,248,416, July 8, 1941. The drawing illustrates only a portion of a copyholder of the type shown in these patents in which the upper end of the copy plate is indicated at l constructed and mounted for operation in any suitable manner such as illustrated in said patents and having a structure 2 at the upper end thereof carrying suitable brackets 3 adapted to pivotally support a clamp 4. Clamp 4 may be of any suitable shape or construction but is illustrated in the form of an elongated cylindrical uninterrupted rod having a clamping portion 5 extending across the face of copy plate i with opposite ends formed to provide laterally extending arms 2 B terminating in inturned ends 1 pivotally mounted in brackets 3 for mounting-the clamp on the copy plate. A resilient means such, for example,

as a tension spring 8, is usually used in a manner well-known in the art to urge the clamping portion 5 toward the face of copy plate -l with sufiicient force to clamp and hold paper sheets and similar copy against copy plate I so that it may be used in connection with transcribing work on a typewriter.

The-present invention providesgrips ll! mounted in spaced relation on central clamping portion 5 in position to engage the outer surface of paper sheets or the like applied against copy plate I for holding-them against said plate. According to-the present invention, thesegrips are formed of bodies of=cylindrical materiaL such asfirubber, having sufiicient softness or other desired texture to provide a cylindrical or polygonal outer surface that will have a substantial amount of friction against the surface of paper sheets or other similar copy materialand retain it against copy plate I. These grips are-each formedwitha bore ll offset to one side of thebody in eccentric relation to the outer surface in order to provide portions of the body about and between the bore and the outer surface of varying thickness. The bore has its axis arranged in parallel relation to the axis and outer surface of the body. The bore is of a size when a grip is applied to the central clamp portion 5, that, whereas the body will firmly grip the surface of the rod extending therethrough and frictionally hold the grip in position against rotation on the clamp, it is capable of being manually rotated and shifted longitudinally on the rod into any adjusted position to place a portion of desired thickness between clamping portion 5 and copy plate I.

As illustrated in the drawing, grip ID at the right-hand side of Fig. 1 is arranged in a different position from the grip at the left-hand side of Fig. 1 in order that the right-hand grip will accommodate two sheets between the surface of the grip and copy plate I, while the lefthand grip is adjusted to hold only a single sheet against copy plate I. This condition is obtained by adjusting both grips ID into the desired position to compensate for the difference in thickness of the copy at the positions where the grips are located which will result in obtaining a substantially uniform pressure of the clamp against the copy in holding it against the copy plate, as shown in Fig. 3. The grips may be independently rotated on the clamp into any relative position to each other in order to compensate for varye 3. ing thicknesses of material between each grip and the copy plate and at the same time obtain a substantially uniform holding pressure of the clamp against the copy.

The invention claimed is:

1. In a copyholder having copy plate, a clamp having an uninterrupted clamping portion with laterally extending arms at opposite ends thereof pivotally secured at opposite sides of the copy plate for movement of said clamping portion toward and from said copy plate, and means resiliently urging said clamp to engage and clamp copy against said copy plate, the combination of grip means comprising spaced grips, at least one of which is adjustable, being formed of a body of material having a bore provided therein in eccentric relation to the outer periphery, said bore having said clamping portion extending therethrough in frictional engagement with said body for retaining said adjustable grip in any adjusted position thereon.

2. In a copyholder having a copy plate, a clamp formed with an uninterrupted clamping portion having laterally xtending arms at opposite ends thereof pivotally secured at opposite sides of said copy plate for movement of said clamping portion toward and from said copy plate, and means resiliently urging said clamping portion to engage and clamp copy against said copy plate,

the combination of grip means comprising a plurality of grips spaced along said clamping portion and each comprising a body of material having a substantially cylindrical outer surface and an inner bore in eccentric relation to said outer surface having said clamping portion extending therethrough in frictional engagement with said body, each of said grips being manually and individually rotatable on said clamping portion, whereby said grips can be adjusted to equalize the, gripping action at their spaced intervals despite irregularity in thickness of copy material clamped across said plate.

3. A copyholder clamp comprising a clamping portion with laterally extending arms at opposite ends thereof for pivotal engagement with means at opposite sides of said copyholder for resiliently urging said clamping portion into gripping engagement with copy carried by said copyholder, and spaced grips on said clamping portion at least one of which is adjustable, being formed of a body of material having a bore provided therethrough in eccentric relation to its outer periphery, said bore having said clamping portion extending therethrough in frictional engagement with said body, whereby said adjustable grip can b manually rotated on said clamping portion and frictionally located thereon in a desired position of adjustment.

4. A copyholder clamp comprising a clamping portion with laterally extending arms at opposite ends thereof for pivotal engagement with means at opposite sides of said copyholder for resiliently urging said clamping portion into gripping engagement with copy carried by said copyholder, and spaced grips on said clamping portion each constituted by a body of material having a bore extending through it in eccentric relation to its outer periphery, said clamping portion extending through the bores in frictional engagement with said body, whereby said grips can be normally rotated individually on said clamping portion and frictionally located thereon in a, desired position of adjustment.

, ARNOLD LEO MATTERN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 187,494 Underwood Feb. 20, 1877 1,194,626 Hersey Aug. 15, 1916 1,668,906 Heberling May 8, 1928 1,767,450 Harrington June 24, 1930 2,350,365 Miller June 6, 1944 

